As you grow into a young adult you will find that you are given more and more responsibility. This is a good thing, it may seem scary at first but its your heart and your life.

With the responsibilities come the choices and decisions you can make. Some very similar to your friends that perhaps don’t have a heart condition like yours. This adds extra risk to your situation. Its not fair but it cant be changed.

So what kind of choices are we talking about?

We have spoke already about compliance and taking your medication as and when you have been told to. Not doing this is a risk and is not healthy for your heart. This is a choice you have to make though and it is up to you to make the healthiest choice.

As you grow into a young adult you may start to take control of your diet, what meals you eat and the snacks in between. You may not think that healthy eating is a big choice that affects your health but its is a very important one with risks attached.

When you have half a working heart you are already more at risk of getting infections than someone heart healthy. Factor into that an unhealthy diet and the risk is increased. No one is saying you should be on a strict diet, but make the healthy choice to be mindful of your diet so that your body can stay as healthy as possible for your heart.

Many young people start to experiment with alcohol and drugs in their teenage years. There is a lot of pressure from friends and peers to experiment and we understand that saying no can be a challenge when you want to fit into social circles.

Firstly ask yourself, ‘do I want to be in this social circle when theyre putting my health at risk’ and then read up in our ‘Drugs and Alcohol’ section here to make a healthy choice for you.

Written by Lexie Katsaitis

Reviewed by Suzie Hutchinson

Reviewed: 19th June 2024

Reviewed next: 19th June 2027